Wichita eagle., 1887-09-21

+ COURTSHIP In RUSSIA.
MATING OF THE YOUNG FOLKS AT
SOCIAL EVENING GATHERINGS.

SOCIAL EVENING GATHERINGS.
How SIavonic Girls Are Wooed - The
Lover Smothers the Mother with Soft
Words and Pretty Presents and Wins
ut Last.
It is the custom Of the Russian young
folks TO meet together by appointment in the
long, stormy winter evenings, selecting the
house of each one in turn. Boys and girls
come dressed in holiday attire, the latter car
rying their looms and linen thread, which
they are supposed to convert into the much
prized linen. These pretty young misses pass
the hours in idle gossip until the time ap-
breaches for the arrival of the sterner sex,
1hen each one HES to her loom and begins to
work most earnestly, by which means they
seek to impress on the minds of their lovers
their capabilities of becoming good wives and
housekeepers; but this feigned industry does
not last long, for when the male members
have entered the chamber work is suspended,
and pleasure begins by the young men invit-
ing their fair friends to join them in forming
circle. This done, they all join in singing,
after which one of the girls selects her young
him, and leads him into the middle Of the cir
Gle, then walks back and forth, chanting a
love song, in which the tot the guests join.
In the song usually selected she tells of the
beauty of the lover she has chosen; how much
she loves him; how she would leave home and
parents, brothers, sisters and friends. and fol-
low him the wide world over. As the song
runs, she would follow him across the seven
l. oxl
rest beneath their shadow, where she could
enjoy her happiness undisturbed.
So, in turn, each girl selects her moi nliloi
and leads him into the circle, when the same
love chanting is repeated until all the girls
have made their choice. Next in turn come
the young men, who each select partner and
60 through the same performance, the whole
affair terminating with the dancing of the
Russian Cossack.
At the conclusion of this dance each young
peasant escorts the object of his choice to her
home. At these gatherings they are as free
as the birds of the air, and take for their
mate whomsoeyer they will, without any re-
gard TO a third party. When the time ar
rives that formal declaration is to be made,
the youth, accompanied by some member or
members of his family, who are supposed to
aid materially in obtaining the parents con-
sent, proceed to the home of his lady love and
there make known his wishes TO the father
and mother.
The mother, not at all surprised, usually
reads the young man lecture on the duties
and burdens of married life bewailing all the
ills and speaking of few of the blessings, and
ends by declaring her daughter is too young
to marry yet, too young to be given over to
the cruel tyranny of an exacting husband.
She prefers to see her as free and happy as
the birds of her native woods. All this is but
a custom which must be Observed so fearful
are they that the young man might suppose
his bride too easily won. The sutton further
to conciliate the mother, now begins to lavish
all kinds of presents on her, according to his
means, at the same time telling her how
much he loves her daughter and how happy
he will make her darling.
The mother listens attentively to the burn
ing, soul stirring language, apparently weigh
ing in deep thought all he says looking &C.
casionally at the presents presented to her,
and which much fear are the key which un-
locks the door of her heart. She finally gives
a rather unwilling assent, with the proviso if
the father is willing. This is a needless pre-
caution on her part, for as a rule the father is
only too willing to ease himself of the burden
of daughters support.
But you will naturally ask where the poor
victim is all this time. Why, in the next
ROOM of course, where every word uttered
by her lover falls like sweet music on her
ears. She understands her mothers tactics,
and yet it must be with trembling heart that
she awaits the sealing of her fate.
All preliminaries arranged between mother
and lover, the daughter is called into the
room to receive the parental blessing, instead
of which she kneels to her mother, praying
not to be taken from her. She describes the
beauties of her virgin life and declares she
has no wish to change it, prefers her freedom
to all else, and hegs that her mother will not
make for her the hated red petticoat, which con-
stitutes the principal portion of the wardrobe
OF every peasant bride. The daughter pleads,
the mother caresSes, and seeks to persuade
her to accept the lover, to whom but short
time before she refused TO give her The
mother, while gently Stroking the glossy hair
of her child, tries to persuade her that after
all a virgin life is not the most desirable; that
God has placed her in this world with u mis-
sion which she must seek to fulfill that she
cannot always remain at her mothers side:
she must go out from the parent roof, and
make home for herself. All these things
and many more are said in vindicatiou of the
life apparently forced upon her. The mother
concludes by repeating TO the daughter all
the lover has told her of his bright hopes for
the future, and the sacrifices he is willing to
make for her happiness. The daughter finally
yields under such persuasive words, and who
would not unless it were heart of adamanta
The young people then kneel to receive the
parental blessing, which Is given with great
deal of ceremony. Then the priest is called
upon to bestow his blessing, which is very
beautiful and impressive. At its conclusion he
places ring on the hand of each. This cere-
mony is called obrseechinv, and is considered
even more sacred than marriage itself. The
parents of the engaged girl arrange long tables
on which they place the samover and summon
the neighbors TO share in their rejoicing The
girl prepares tea, the first cup of which she
hands to her accepted lover, then to her father
and mother, and lastly to each of the guests
This duty performed, she appears to lose all
bashfulness, and she who but a short time be-
fore bewailed her fate so loudly, now accepts
and even glories in the choice she has made
Counties Norrinkow in New York Star
Cost Ten Months Imprisonment.